Auto bailouts boost Obama in Michigan

Government dependence is a hard thing to shake once people sign onto it. Case and point: The state of Michigan. Despite the auto industry's decades-long slide, the Obama White House has made the case time and time again for government intervention and now, autoworkers and other supporting industrial workers in Michigan are paying him back:

Barack Obama won't have to worry too much about holding Michigan for the Democrats this fall- he leads Mitt Romney 53-39 there, a lead little changed from PPP's last poll of the state in February when his advantage was 54-38. [...]

It's not just Romney's unpopularity helping Obama in Michigan though. Obama's own approval rating is at a record high in our polling of the state with 53% of voters giving him good marks to 41% who disapprove, including a 50/43 standing with independents.

Obama's crushing Romney on what will doubtless be one of the biggest issues in the campaign in Michigan- 55% think that he's been better for the automotive industry in the state to only 31% who say Romney wins out on that front.

Going inside the numbers Obama's winning over 13% of Republican voters while losing just 7% of Democrats, and he also has a double digit advantage with independents at 48-36. Obama's winning women by a 58-34 margin and significantly has a 10 point lead with white voters at 50-40.

As you've probably noticed, the Obama campaign plans to make Mitt Romney opposition to government bailouts a key issue in this election -- a stance which may help him in a state like Michigan, but is likely to energize conservative free-market voters in other areas of the country.